Ministry of Justice

Prisons Strategy White Paper: Publication of response to consultation questions

Victoria Atkins: Today I am publishing the Government response to the Prisons Strategy White Paper consultation.The Prisons Strategy White Paper was published in December 2021. The commitments in the paper tackle this Government’s priorities for prisons: building the next generation of prisons and managing an estate that is safe and secure for staff and prisoners; supporting rehabilitation and resettlement through education, employment and accommodation; and creating prison and probation services that cut crime and protect the public.19 questions were included in the White Paper to ensure the views of interested parties were considered. The consultation opened on the 7 December 2021 and closed on the 4 February 2022, receiving 155 responses. The Government has carefully considered the responses and is grateful for all of the contributions.Since publication of the White Paper, this Government has moved swiftly to deliver its aims:HMP Five Wells opened in March, delivering 1,700 modernised places.Digital upgrades have been delivered to a further 7 prisons, with 4 additional sites completed by October 2022.The landmark Security Investment Programme was completed in March 2022, including the deployment of Enhanced Gate Security across 42 high-risk sites.Committed an additional £25m investment in prison security: installing high-specification drugs trace detection, mobile phone blocking technology, x-ray baggage scanners, and an Intelligence Management System.Secured £34m to improve prison safety and move towards a more preventative approach.Accelerated the roll out of Employment Hubs with 23 now established and the appointment of 20 Employment Board Chairs.Announced that we will legislate to enable prisoner apprenticeships, in collaboration with the Department for Education.Committed to action on Friday releases to tackle the strain this can cause if prisoners cannot access essential services; this includes pursing legislation to address this issue for those at risk of reoffending, when parliamentary time allows.Plans to open a Residential Women’s Centre in Wales to provide a community-based alternative to a short custodial sentence.Launched our staff retention toolkit into all prisons alongside a number of new initiatives to support retention, including a new buddy scheme.Key Performance Indicators, introduced in April 2022, set clear expectations of delivery, and Governors will be held to account as part of their performance reviews. As the consultation response makes clear, this is the start of an ambitious delivery plan in the years to come and the Government is committed to continued engagement with stakeholders to ensure we deliver on it.Today, I lay in Parliament this response, which sets out the views of respondents to our consultation questions and how the government proposes to implement the commitments in the White Paper.

Department for International Trade

Singapore Digital Economy Agreement Update

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Today, I am proud to announce that the UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement (DEA) enters into force, following the completion of the necessary domestic procedures on both sides. This will allow UK businesses to start benefitting from the provisions contained within the agreement, helping them to trade and grow.This ground-breaking agreement is the world's most innovative digital trade agreement, concluded as it was between two of the most advanced digital trade nations. The UK-Singapore Digital Economy Agreement is deeper and wider than previous trade agreements covering the modern digital economy. Complementing and building on the G7 Digital Trade Principles that we brokered under the UK’s G7 Presidency, the Singapore Digital Economy Agreement will serve as an ambitious model for modern trade agreements in future – cementing the UK’s place as a world leader in digital trade.By securing open digital markets, prompting the free flow of trusted data, and cutting red tape through overhauling outdated paper-based processes, businesses across the UK can expand into new markets and thrive.Now that this ground-breaking trade agreement has entered into force, businesses and consumers across the UK will start to benefit from:Support to UK businesses to access Singapore’s digital markets. Digitally delivered services makes up around a third of UK services trade globally - this was worth over £361 billion in 2020, and this deal will help strengthen this further.Securing and locking-in trusted cross-border data flows, the foundation for today’s modern digital economy – representing up to 26.3% of UK GVA in 2019. This will enable businesses to trade more easily, cheaply, and more quickly, facilitating everything from more efficient manufacturing and supply chains to more reliable infrastructure.Cutting red tape by supporting the overhaul of outdated, paper-based trading systems. For example, the agreement contains specific commitments around maintaining legal frameworks that enable the digitisation of trade documents such as Bills of Lading.Keeping our country and citizens safe through deepening our partnership with Singapore in areas such as cybersecurity, as well as legally binding commitments covering online consumer protection and personal data protection.Supporting our bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), alongside Singapore and 10 other vibrant trading nations. Membership would mean access to a £9 trillion free trade area with some of the biggest and fastest-growing markets in the world.With this agreement coming into force, our economy and brilliant businesses can build back better from the pandemic and start to benefit from easier, quicker, and more trusted access to the valuable Singapore market.